


my pocket angel

by unraelated



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angelic Layer AU, Build-A-Boyfriend, M/M, Robot/Human Relationships, Size Difference
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-01
Updated: 2020-08-01
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:15:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,549
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25641913
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unraelated/pseuds/unraelated
Summary: The other contestants in the Angelic Layer - a battle royale between small robots - prefer using mecha warriors and small tanks to win the prize money.Claude decides to try a different tactic.(Angelic Layer AU for Cosu's birthday, based off of her fanarthere!)
Relationships: Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/Claude von Riegan
Comments: 21
Kudos: 128





	my pocket angel

**Author's Note:**

> Happy birthday, Cosu!
> 
> To those of you new to Angelic Layer: Angels are tiny robot dolls controlled by Deus (masters) to fight one another in high stakes pokemon-esque competitions called the Angelic Layer. That's it, that's the entire AU!
> 
> I changed the setting just a tad - Angels in this AU are preprogrammed to have basic personalities, rather than being controlled by a Deus. :)

"Let's see…"

Claude squinted again at the small booklet in his hands before looking up to the glass fabrication case on his desk. It was in the shape of a cylinder, about a foot tall and filled with some sort of liquid or smoke that prevented him from seeing what, exactly, was taking shape inside.

He tried to calm his thundering heart. It wouldn't do to let his nerves get the better of him and make a mistake somewhere. This was the sort of thing that couldn't be undone.

He typed a few more basic commands at the keyboard in his lap and watched as the cylinder was initialized, before checking the monitor to ensure his code was correct for the millionth time and reluctantly tapping at the Enter key to submit it all. 

Slowly, the cylinder began to hum to life, draining itself of liquid through the small tubing attaching it to a waste bin. The front panel, previously almost unnoticeable, now slowly retracted and Claude swallowed hard.

"Angel," he said to the thing inside, "wake up."

The creature inside opened his eyes - for it was a he - and blinked slowly as his systems came online. Curiously, he looked around, his ponderous eyes staring up with wonder at Claude's large face, looming above him. A slight shiver rippled through the frame of the robotic doll, testing the joints and mechanisms with which he could move, and he slowly brought his feet down to the ground to see if they could carry his weight.

He had been suspended carefully by his programming wires: one inserted into the port in the back of his neck and a dozen other tiny pins pressed into his arms and legs. As he touched the ground, he pulled to be free of them, each of the tiny pins coming undone as they should, allowing him to support his own weight. 

Claude watched with held breath as the Angel took a small step closer, and then another - but was halted by the wire in his neck, leashing him to his fabrication chamber. He pulled against it but did not have the strength to undo the more sturdy pin. His face scrunched up in effort as he flailed his arms to try and get his hands behind him to pull at it.

"Here," Claude said, his voice barely a whisper as he reached down to unplug the final wire. His index finger was the length of the Angel’s entire arm and so he tried to be as delicate as he could as he reached to gently unplug it from the small doll. 

Even so, the sudden loss of the wire and the unexpected weight of Claude's fingers made him lose his precarious balance and he tumbled backward onto his rear on the desk.

Claude wanted to apologize immediately but he held his tongue, transfixed as he watched the doll reach up with the tiniest fingers he'd ever seen, to wrap around the edge of the glass and pull himself back up to standing. He already adored him - it. There was suddenly no question that all of his effort: the long hours working for money, programming to get it just right, studying the theory - it had all been worth it, just for these few moments.

The small man opened and closed his mouth a few times and Claude realized belatedly that he was speaking, but his voice was too small to be audible. Quickly, he reached for the earbud that he'd preprogrammed, jamming it into his ear.

"Sorry," he told the doll, "I can hear you now."

It nodded, stepping out tentatively onto Claude's desk, careful not to slip on the polished wood.

And he was beautiful. Everything that Claude had programmed and tirelessly molded had come to life in this doll, each finite mechanism and defining feature was perfect.

Many masters preferred their Angels to be sleek and hard, with shining steel exoskeleton and jagged edges. It was a glorified mecha circuit after all, and one in which only the toughest Angel won, earning their master the prize money, the glory, and the respect of their peers. 

But Claude was different - he had always dreamed of different influences, of the history and fantasy books from the library. He'd dreamed of the princes who lead their armies in wars of liberation, champions of the just, honorable and chivalrous and perfect in every way. 

And so, he'd started from scratch on a custom chassis and slim design, something that resembled a small man more than a machine: a man with golden hair and blue eyes, pseudoskin stretched over his joints, and a small half-cape for flourish. 

After all those months, here he was. Perfect.

"Who am I?" The doll asked. The vocal modulator worked, and the soft voice of a young man echoed through Claude's earbud.

Claude reached a hand down gently, touching his fingertips to the desk just in front of his feet.

"Dimitri is your name," he informed the doll, "if that's alright with you."

Dimitri nodded, recording it to his memory, but seemed a little uneasy at climbing up into Claude's hand. Claude tried to hold himself still, but he couldn’t seem to stop his fingertips from trembling in excitement and nervousness.

"And…" Dimitri started, slowly sinking down to his knees and reaching out to touch his hand to Claude's fingertip. His whole palm fit over the pad of Claude's finger. "...you're my master?"

"I am."

Dimitri's hand felt cool, but not quite cold to the touch. As he sat there, Claude realized that the small doll was trying to comfort him, gently stroking his hand over Claude's finger in some attempt at reassurance. Empathy… was not something he'd programmed for.

Had it come through in part of the core personality program? Claude had meant to design a Prince in every essence of the word - perhaps he overdid it a little. _Fascinating._

Regardless, his whirling thoughts _did_ manage to calm him down enough to where his hand went still without him really even thinking about it. Dimitri slowly shifted to climb into his fingers like he'd wanted earlier, shuffling off of the desk and uncertainly into Claude's palm.

He was heavier than one might expect from a seven inch tall man, but that could be attributed to his steel, rather than bones. Claude smiled softly down at him and raised him up to his face so that he could really look at the doll - but even from this distance, he didn't look like a doll at all. 

Dimitri reached up in muted wonder, his fingers brushing against the tip of Claude's nose.

"What is my purpose?"

Claude breathed out softly, careful not to buffet Dimitri with his exhalation. 

"I made you to fight in the Angelic Layer."

Dimitri's eyes fluttered for a moment as he scanned the database that Claude built, undoubtedly instantly transferring all mention of the Layer to a faster level of access memory. It took milliseconds, and once more Claude found himself impressed.

"Then…" Dimitri thought quietly about it, before nodding and shakily moving to stand, careful to keep his balance on Claude's palm. 

Once he was on his two legs, he brought his hand to his breast, holding his fingers in a fist, his brow drawing in - and there he was, Claude thought. His prince. Just like in the fantasy books he'd read to comfort himself as a child.

"- then I will fight for you," Dimitri promised, his brow stern. "I will bring you victory. I will never err from your side, nor would I ever bring you harm. You have my loyalty, my bravery, and my heart."

There was a pregnant pause and Claude… he was deeply touched in a way he hadn't anticipated. Dimitri was so _earnest_ , already so bold and eager to prove himself. 

But.

"...your heart?"

"You designed it," Dimitri reasoned quite soundly, "is it not yours?"

"W-well, when you put it like that…" Claude stammered it out, suddenly thrown off guard. He had expected a cold and mechanical personality. He'd seen the sims, interacted with enough Angels to know that their only purpose was to complete their masters' orders. They were machines, passable for a short conversation, but not… like this. Not reassuring their masters, holding their arms out in the softest of gestures, talking about _hearts_.

This… this was new.

Dimitri leaned forward, his hands pressing delicately against Claude’s cheeks, on either side of his nose. Claude could scarcely breathe, frozen in place while the doll - the Angel he’d spent months creating, years working toward - leaned forward to kiss him gently on the tip of his nose.

“My creator,” Dimitri whispered softly. “My master. All of me is yours. We will not fail.”

Any shred of doubt flew from Claude’s mind as the doll pulled back unsteadily in his palm and moved to sit again, tilting his head up toward him. Claude could feel his heart clutching in his chest at the small man he’d created, the strange discrepancy in his personality core that lead to… well, something that felt more human than most.

He had made a miracle. Now, he just had to believe in it.

Claude swallowed hard and nodded, lowering Dimitri slowly back to the desk.

“No,” he told him, “we won’t.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading, and happy birthday Cosu!
> 
> Feel free to follow me on twitter for more works, [@unraelated](https://twitter.com/unraelated)!!!


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